Rotary gang-plow



(No Model.)

I. N. KYLE.

ROTARY GANG PLOW. No. 250,739. Patented De0.13 ,1881.

u PETERS. Phowhthngnplwr. Washington. ma

UNITED STATES ISAAC N. KYLE,

OF TROY, OHIO.

ROTARY GANG-PLOW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 250,739, dated December13, 1881,

Application filed February 17, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ISAAC N, KYLE, of Troy,in the county of Miami and State ofOhio, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Rotary Gang-Flows; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in rotary gang-plows of thatclass which employ concavo-convex disks on annuli for turning the earth.

The machine consists, essentially, of a frame supported on wheels forsustaining the drivers seat, and made adjustable up and down to regulatethe depth of penetration of the cutting and turning disks, which areattached to and supported by said frame work. The disks for turning thefurrow-slice are concavo convex metal disks with sharpened edges, andset in a diagonal rank across the under side of the frame of themachine, and each turns upon an independent spindle, so as to permit ofthe proper adjustment and inclination of the disks. The colter disks,with sharpened edges, are flat and are set in advance of theturningdisks, with their planes in line with and coincidentwith'thedirection of the machine. They are also, further, so set that each cutsat a point midway between the cutting points of the slice-turning disks.

The novelty of my invention consists in the combination and arrangement,in'a rotary gangplow, of two series of disks, the rear one of which isset diagonal to the line of draft of the machine, and is composed ofconcavo-convex disks, and the forward one of which, composed of flatdisks, is set in line with the draft of the machine, with each disk at apoint mid way between the cutting-edges of the following disks also, inother details of construction, as willbe herewith specifically setforth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improvedrotary gang-plow. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the machine. Fig. 3 is aplan view of a modification of the construction of the machine.

The same letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

The frame-work of the machine is composed of the two side beams, A, andend beams, B, rigidly united, so as to form a rectangular platform. Uponthe upper side of the beams A are secured two cross-beams, O, whichsupport the drivers seat D. About midway of the beams A, upon theirupper sides, are bearingboxes E, of any suitable construction,in whichis secured the metal axle F This axle has its ends bent down to formcrank-spindles G, as shown, and upon these spindles thecarriagc orsupporting wheels H revolve. Upon the under side of the beams A aresecured two parallel beams, I, extending diagonally across the frame, asshown, and set at some distance apart. To the under side of thesediagonal beams are boltedor otherwise secured the equidistant pendentbrackets or hangers J, ofthe shape indicated.

Projecting laterally from the lower end of each of the brackets is aspindle, K,upon each of which revolves the concavo convex sliceturningdisks L. These disks are of metal, with sharpened edges, and are so setin ad vance of each other as to have no common axis. They should beabout nine inches apart, and their front edges, in about the line oftheir horizontal diameters, should be vertical and in a line with thedraft of the machine. The only essentials in the construction of thesedisks are that they should be concavo convex, with sharp cutting-edges.Their centers may be solid, as represented, or they may be open and beconnected to their hubs by radial arms or spokes. The diameter of thesedisks is about twenty-six inches, and they should be so constructed asto be perfectlyrigid. Just in front of this gang of diagonal disks isagang offlat colter-disks, M, free to turn upon a transverse shaft, N,secured in pendent brackets O, attached to the beamsA,as represented.These latter disks are of the same diameter as the former disks L, andare so spaced upon their shaft that each one is in a line midway betweenthe front edges of two of the disks L, as shown. Instead of this methodof attaching the disks M to the frame, that shown in Fig. 3 may beemployed. In thisinstance the colter-disks are each secured upon thespindle ofa pendent bracket, just as the disks L are attached, and theyare so set as to be in diagonal rank, though in the same planes asbefore, with their rear edges interposed between the front edges of thedisks L, as seen in Fig. 3.

The frame of the machine is provided with a tongue, P, hinged in anysuitable manner to the frame, as at a, and confined in a staple, 1),upon the front beam, B. This construction is such as to permit of theraising and lowering of the frame without affecting the position of thetongue with reference to the horses. To raise or lower the frame, andwith it the cutter-disks, I secure a hand-lever, c, to the axle F at oneside of the machine, which lever is provided with a lateral detent, cl,adapted to engage with a vertical segment-plate, e, secured upon theframe-work at the side of the lever, and having notches into which thedetent is thrown to hold the machine in its adjusted position. Now, whenit is desired to transport the machine or to turn itjn the field withoutpermitting the cutter-disks to come in contact with the ground, thelever is so locked to the segment-plate as to bring the crank of theaxle into a vertical position, at which adjustment the frame will be soraised that the disks clear the ground. Upon arriving at the point whereit is desired to commence plowing, the driver on his seat unlocks thelever c and draws it toward him, thereby oscillating the axle andturning its crank-arms backward. As soon as the cranks are thrown out ofvertical line the weight of the machine and driver carries it down andforces the cutters with a backward motion into the earth. Whensufficiently lowered to give the disks the desired amount of penetrationinto the earth the lever is relocked, and the machine is ready to startforward. As it moves forward the disks M cut into the earth and divideit into slices-say nine inches wide. Now, as the disks L move forwardthey subdivide these slices and form a furrow-slice nine inches wide,though out in two by the forward colter. These slices are cut and turnedby the disks L, and each as it is turned clears the other, owing to theset of the disks. The advantages of this relative arrangement of the twosets ofdisks are obvious. The front rank cuts up and overrides any trashupon the surface of the ground, and at the same time holds the'machineto its course and prevents side draft. The rear rank has only tosubdivide the already-divided earth and turn it, thus enabling themachine to work easily and with but comparatively little draft-power.Trash, instead of being carried along as with a stationary colter, isout up and overridden, and does not cling to or obstruct the machine.

When it is desired to stop plowing or to turn the machine the driverunlocks and presses from him the lever 0. the team, which, drawing froma point in line with the axis of the axle, has the wheel-spindles asfulcrums, and obtainsa leverage equal to the length of the cranks. Bythis means the teamis made to raise the plows out of the ground, andwhen so raised the driver locks the frame and axle together, as beforeexplained.

Having thus fully described my invention, claim- 1. In a gang-plow, thecombination, with a diagonal series of concavo-con vex disks havingcontinuous cutting-edges, of a front series of flat cutting-disksarranged to operate in the line of draft, but equidistant between thecutting-points of the concavo-con vex disks,whereby the earth is firstcut and then subdivided and turned over, substantially as described.

2. In a gang-plow, the combination, with a diagonal seriesofconcavo-convex disks having continuous cutting-edges, of a frontdiagonal series of flat cutting-disks arranged to operate in the line ofdraft, but equidistant between the cutting-points of the rearconcavo-convex disks, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ISAAC N. KYLE.

In this he is assisted by c

